February Issue by mihsislander

Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID Permit #19 Mercer Island, WA

Mercer Island High School 9100 SE 42nd St. Mercer Island, WA 98040

MERCER IS SCHOOL DIST 400

The

February Issue 7

Features: The Work of MIHS’ Black Student Union Sports: Spring Sports Preview MIHS Valentine’s Day Messages

IN THIS ISSUE Fe

Opinions: Gender in AP Math Classes

A&E: A Review of “This is Not About Me”

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2 , 8

2 Inside ABOUT The MIHS Islander 9100 SE 42nd St. Mercer Island, WA 98040 mihsislander@gmail.com www.mihsislander.org

THE MIHS ISLANDER FEB. 2022 The MIHS Islander acknowledges that MIHS is on the traditional land of the first people of Seattle, the Duwamish People past and present and honor with gratitude the land itself and the Duwamish Tribe.

Editors in Chief Lena Hardisty and Alex Levin Managing Editor | Honor Warburg Lead Writer | Morgan Dawson

A Valentine’s Day Sonnet: Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? I know, that’s such a cheesy line above. But February is now underway, And so this poem has a theme of love:

You’re gonna love this paper; that’s a fact, We’ve covered lots of thought-provoking stuff. From sports to features every page is stacked, You’ll love this more than any Super Puff TM

Photography Editor | Brooks Kahsai Business Manager | Liv Talerman Senior Staff Writer | Taylor Holshouser

You’ll love our pair of interesting reviews, On movies that you really ought to see. You’ll love our piece on Mercer’s BSU, And definitely turn to page thirteen.

Social Media Team | Kat Marsh and Sam Pelter Multimedia Team | Brooks Kahsai and Braeden Nett

Just like the text on pages eight and nine, We hope you have a happy Valentine’s!

Adviser | Chris Twombley

By Alex Levin and Lena Hardisty

Staff Writers Wyatt Acker, Ellie Austin, Jordan Balousek, Grant Blasko, Betty Butler, Caroline Capuano, Jackson Chang, Emily Fain, Zoya Firasta, Katie Friedman, Maddie Gaspers, Kyle Gerstel, Kate Gregson, Luke Harp, Julia Hauge, Gracie Hennessy, Elliot Jester, Lilly Jester, Jackson Kline, Ashwin Krishnaswamy, Irene Lee, Marley MacDonald, Arman Najafian, Shannon Rogan, Sadie Seumae, Niko Ulshin, Abby Weiss, Tiffany Zhang

PUBLICATION NOTICES

Purpose: To provide news to the Mercer Island High School student body and members of the surrounding community in a

manner that accurately reflects readers’ interests. The MIHS Islander is an open student forum, and the opinions expressed within do not represent those of the high school or district administration.

Corrections: We pride ourselves on accurate, fact-based journalism. If you believe The MIHS Islander has gotten a fact or quote wrong, please contact us and we’ll post a correction on our website.

Ads: To print an ad in a future issue of The MIHS Islander, contact Business Manager Liv Talerman at mihsislander@gmail.com for rates and information.

Privacy: All electronic mail messages in connection with Mercer Island School District business which are sent or received by this account are subject to the Washington State Public Records Act and may be disclosed to third parties.

Nondiscrimination Notification: The Mercer Island School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities

on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, marital status, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The Mercer Island School District offers classes in many College and Career Readiness Programs, admission to which is non-discriminatory. Lack of English-language proficiency will not be a barrier to admission and participation in these programs.

Features 3

Henry Lavallee, a Mercer Island alumnus is now the drummer of a successful band, The Naked Giants. He has gone on to release three albums and has a countrywide tour booked for next year. Lavallee graduated from MIHS in 2014, and his experiences at MIHS and the surrounding community helped shape his growth as a musician. Lavallee grew up on Mercer Island, enrolling at Sunnybeam preschool on the south end of the island. His musical journey began when he watched the movie, “School of Rock”. “I started drumming because I saw ‘School of Rock,’ which came out in 2004, when I was 8 or 9,” Lavallee said. “So then in 5th grade I was like ‘Mom and dad, can I get a drum kit? I’ll play it!’ And I got a drum kit for Christmas.” Lavallee was never really interested in sports, but music and performing was a good way for him to make friends and build confidence as he grew up. As he continued to get older he started to realize how much he enjoyed music. He felt in his element when playing. In addition to his personal music endeavors, Lavallee began playing with other people when performing with Youth Theater Northwest (YTN): a youth-oriented theater that has been long-standing on Mercer Island. He played his first show when he was 13- or 14-years old. “I was at Youth Theater and being at Youth Theater you get to meet people from Seattle, Bellevue, out of the bubble, and they would be like ‘I play guitar, you play drums, we both like performing so maybe we can make something happen,’” Lavallee said. “I remember starting to play with other

people there.” In addition to his time at YTN, Lavallee spent his summers doing rock band camps, in which he met lots of other local musicians. While in high school, he participated in jazz choir and spent his freshman year playing with the jazz band. “Freshman

The Naked Truth From a Mercer Island

Giant

Photos Courtesy Henry Lavallee

Abby Weiss

Staff Writer

Spring sports assembly, 2012, Senior Ward Wilson (right) and Sophomore Henry Lavallee (left) had a drum battle.

THE MIHS ISLANDER FEB. 2022

year I was in Jazz Band. It was a commitment. You had to get to school at 7 am; have your parts learned cause they aren’t easy… it’s a really good program,” Lavallee continued. “I was in the jazz choir from sophomore to senior year… I loved it.” Furthering his love for music and performing, Lavallee co-founded The Naked Giants. He started the band with his preschool friend, Grant Mullen. “We went to preschool together at Sunnybeam...when we were freshmen we jammed a lot together..he and I really picked it up in senior year,”

Lavallee said. Lavallee and Mullen participated in an old MIHS lunchtime tradition, called Electric Lunch. “Bands that were of people from the high school would set up during lunches, you would take your 5th period off and play both lunches, on a friday, and they would do it, usually one friday a month.” Lavallee continued to further describe Electric Lunch, including his favorite memories from this lost tradition. “If it was raining you would do it inside but usually everybody would meet in the amphitheater,” Lavallee continued. “I remember one time the whole amphitheater was shoulder to shoulder, like a straight up standing room only concert, and seniors were playing Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bob Marley, just stoner rock songs. And you looked forward to it.” Although Lavallee and his band have gone on to do national tours and play sold out shows, he can attribute his musical success partly to MIHS and the surrounding community.

4 FEATURES

THE MIHS ISLANDER FEB. 2022

Hannah Howison

Features Editor

The MIHS Black Student Union (BSU) is a club that focuses on promoting inclusivity and spreading awareness within Mercer Island High School. After being dormant for the past few years, the club has reemerged this year, holding numerous events inside and outside of school. “My reasoning for having BSU is to give the true minority— 1 percent— some type of culture and identity,” club adviser Kelly JohnLewis said. “You can’t give people of color culture and identity here, the two things the Mercer Island environment does not give them.” One of BSU’s primary goals this year is to bring exposure to issues regarding race that are seen on and offisland. “We have seen stuff done by administration and it’s just like covering the surface, we’re trying to get more in-depth, and really bring some of the issues we see on the island and around the country and get people knowing about it,” club member Mason Sanders said. In addition to enriching the experiences of students who identify as Black or African-American, BSU aims to connect with other minorities at MIHS. “We also want to connect with the community, with the Jewish community, with The the Asian community, and the white community, and really try to connect on a level of understanding what empathy is, and not sympathy,” John-Lewis said. With February being Black History Month, the MIHS Black Student Union has been and will continue to hold events, assemblies, presentations and more. “This year Black Student Union is going to take Black History Month and provide announcements, music, assemblies, curriculum, food and more,” secretary

Jamison Drayton said. “So far we have organized the MLK assembly, a couple of our members have gone to schoolb o a r d meetings and zoom

lot of ways we are able to bring stuff to light and get things done is in-person because people are more likely to listen and absorb that information when you are presenting to them,” Sanders said. COVID-19 has also skewed with the possibility of the first indoor and in-person assemblies since March 2020. “We had gotten the approval to have the first indoor, i n person assemblies and unfortunately we can’t have those anymore, so that was really upsetting,” Simpson said. The assemblies that BSU will be holding throughout February will be prerecorded, with the possibility of a speaker coming into the gym to present over Zoom. These assemblies will follow a similar outline to the Martin Luther King assembly held in January. Even though some of these plans have not been able to happen, many events are still going o n . These include the 21Day Race Equity Challenge, virtual assemblies, performances from the band at lunches and a choir performance at the second assembly. “Band is going to play culturally significant music during lunches, and choir is singing in the assembly,” Simpson said. The MIHS Black Student Union is a club that has been dormant for the past few years, Revival of MIHS’ Black Student Union but they have reemerged again this year. They organize assemblies, presentations and other events throughout the school year. Black Student Union meets every first and third Wednesday of the month in room 202 and is open to anyone. sessions regarding redlining on Mercer Pictured above: Jamison Drayton, Ella Simpson, Island.” However, with COVID-19, some of the club’s plans Cole Drayton, Brooks Kahsai, Kelly John-Lewis have not had the chance to surface. “[COVID-19] put a damper on things because a Photo Courtesy: Jordan Balousek

features 5

THE MIHS ISLANDER FEB. 2022

Mercer Island Welcomes First Hockey Team Honor Warburg

Managing Editor

Western Washington Female Hockey Association (WWFHA). Representation and opportunity for young female hockey players has continued to grow at the highschool level, where the Western Highschool Hockey League, or WHHL, is popular amongst players. “Although there are a lot of opportunities for girls to participate this season in the WHHL, when the preseason starts i n

Mercer Island offers a plethora of scholastic and club sports. But until recently, one major piece was missing— ice hockey. Since 2008, the Western Washington High School Hockey league has served players from the SeattlePuget Sound area. Teams from across the Sound area compete for the yearly championship title. This League formerly consisted of eight teams: Bothell, Edmonds, Everett, Garfield, Lake Washington, Marysville-Pilchuck, Tahoma and Skyline. But this year, there is a new addition— Mercer Island, which enters the league as the ninth team. Formerly, hockey players who attend Mercer Island would join one of the other teams in the league. Alongside seniors Jarrett Sato, Colson Rimmer and Will Pellerin, junior goalie Eric Gorski is leading the charge for the new Mercer Island team. “As we have seen in the past with the Seattle Kraken, it has introduced hockey to a whole new level with the state of Washington,” Gorski said. “Imagine what the Mercer Island Ice Hockey team could do to introduce ice hockey to the high school.” The inaugural 2022 spring season is set for mid-April through June 18. Each team will play 12 regular season games and at least one playoff game. Currently the new team only consists of three players and Gorski in goal, but the team hopes to be co-ed. Jarrett Sato (left), Eric Gorski (middle) and Colson In 2002, Washington state got its first Rimmer (right) major youth women’s hockey team in the

April we will be lucky to have just one girl on the [Mercer Island] team,” Gorski said. The new team will face many challenges this season, namely finding players, male or female, to fill the roster. “In order to have a full roster you need 19 players and one goalie, so we are going to have to pull players from Bellevue as well as the Renton area,” Gorski said. “This is a bit of an unknown variable for us. We don’t really know who we are getting but we do know that they are most likely good players.” Steven Pellerin, a current coach with USA Hockey will lead the team through these challenges as well as those currently unforeseen. “The challenge is getting our team to work together and cooperate with such a short timeline together in this season,” Gorski said. This includes team chemistry as well as how well we play together as a full unit.” The new team is ready to take the ice and have a successful season. “Get a feel for skating on ice and then if you like it you can pursue skating lessons and then slowly move on to play ice hockey,” Gorski encourages. “Hockey is for everyone. Even people with no experience can probably make the league Photo Courtesy Eric Gorski through tryouts if they put the work in.”

6 Sports

THE MIHS ISLANDER FEB. 2022

Erin McCaslin Weighs in on Pursuing A Career in Sports Kate Gregson

Staff Writer

Former college basketball player Erin McCaslin uses her athletic background to provide an example for athletes that want to have a career in athletics. McCaslin started playing at Roosevelt University from 2010 to 2013, and continued on to work various internships, eventually claiming a position with the Seattle Storm. She is now the Youth Sports Recreation Program Coordinator for the City of Bellevue, and also works as the coach for the Mercer Island Girls fifth grade basketball team. “You will likely not get a call back the first time you apply for a job in sports,” McCaslin said. “The key is to network, network, network and to do it early, [since] the sports industry is a lot about who you know, not what you know.” McCaslin didn’t know she wanted a career in sports until her junior year of college. Her efforts paid off her senior year when she worked as a sports information intern in the athletic department at Roosevelt, gaining experience and connections into the sports world. She then worked two internships in professional women’s basketball, one with the

Chicago Sky and then later with the Seattle Storm. “There are so many areas in a professional or college sports organization,” McCaslin said. “You don’t have to make it your full time job. There are plenty of part-time opportunities or openings where you can coach or work with kids in sports.” McCaslin has served as an example for many, and continues to influence the world of sports with her experience. Her career has often caused people to contact her, asking for her advice, and how she has accomplished what she has. “I often have college students that reach

out to me on LinkedIn and want to hear about my career journey and what it is that I do and have done ... if you want to work in sports, you have to be willing to take an unpaid internship or entry level job and work your way up.” One thing that McCaslin emphasizes to prospective sports administrators is the benefit of a mentor. “Many professionals are more than willing to connect with students and help them reach their goals of working in sports,” McCaslin said. Overall, McCaslin’s career and experience have allowed her many opportunities, and because of this she is able to help many others in finding their place in the sports industry, even if they aren’t the ones playing. “You do not have to be a star athlete to work in sports, but you do need to be someone who is passionate, hardworking and motivated,” McCaslin said. “The sports industry is a great one, and if you want to work in it, you can.”

“

You will likely not get a call back the first time you apply for a job in sports. The key is to network, network, network and to do it early, [since] the sports industry is a lot about who you know, not what you know.

Photo Courtesy Erin McCaslin

”

Sports 7

THE MIHS ISLANDER FEB. 2022

Boys Baseball:

The MIHS Baseball team The MIHS Girls Lacrosse team has been a highlight in Islanders fell short in the KingCo sports in recent years. “Last season was really good, we championship at the went undefeated and worked extremely well as a unit,” end of their shortened 2021 season. “We were sad that senior captain Molly Brodsky said. The team has been our seniors couldn’t end their final season with a win, working all through the winter to prepare. “A weaker but it inspired the rest of us to be hungry for this component which we can improve on is upcoming season,” senior captain Governor our stick skills. As a younger team, Aufranc said. The team has young talent this m o s t players are less year, and they are hoping to help integrate adjusted to the them into the program. “Obviously the ultimate h i g h e r level play but goal is to go all the way and win state, I think with our winter ball but first we have to win Kingco,” Aufranc practices everyone is getting more said. Senior Jack Varney and senior Kaden and more experience and improving our play,” Wu are Aufanc’s co-captains Brodsky said. The team is hoping to work on and they hope to lead communication this year and hopefully the team to achieve these come out of the season as 3A state lofty goals. “I think champions. “A strong component our team has very to our team is the athleticism s t r o n g of our players, coming from chemistry and all different sports,” understanding of Brodsky said. The teams brotherhood, we may hardest matchup will not have all the talent be their Woodinville in the world but we all away matchup. love to win,” Aufranc said. The team Sports Editor Asha Woerner will play their home games at Island previews each of MIHS’ 12 spring Photo Courtesy Molly Crest Park and students can spectate Brodsky sports. Read the rest of the article from right field. “We love the support at mihsislander.org by students and parents and hope to see everyone there this spring! Go MI!” Aufranc said. Photo Courtesy Governor Aufranc

MIHS SPRING SPORTS PREVIEWS

Girls Lacrosse:

Girls Golf:

The MIHS Girls Golf team won the KingCo championship in their 2021 season despite the COVID-19 challenges and protocols. “Going into the season, we are feeling great,” senior captain Sydney Hoang said. “We have had captains practices and team bondings to get to know some of the freshman/new girls.” The team is hoping to qualify for state this year and of course, beat Bellevue. “Our team is strong in our bond with each other and understanding that every score/stroke counts,” Hoang said. The team is focusing on a positive environment for this season. “Our team is strong in our bond with each other and understanding that every score/

stroke counts and to always try your best and keep fighting while having fun,” Hoang said. The team is working on being more spirited and drawing more students to their matches, the most convenient ones taking place at Jefferson Golf Course in Seattle. “The most important matches for us are probably going to be against Bellevue since they are our rivals and also Lake Washington and Interlake since they are really good,” Hoang said. The team encourages students to come to matches exemplifying sportmanship. “Make sure everyone is encouraging [and] has a positive attitude while showcasing integrity and great etiquette,” Hoang Photo Courtesy Sydney Hoang said.

Islanders, we define ourselves as an open student forum. We gave you the ability to address a valentine to any special someone at the school, and present to you our (long awaited) Valentine’s Day message spread! If your message isn’t featured here, don’t fret. We’ll continue to post messages on mihsislander.org throughout February.

! S E VAL EN T I N Happy Valentine’s Day Caley!! I remember you cheating off of my Kahoot answers in Spanish class last year, I was GOATed at Kahoot so I don’t blame you ;) Love you <333

GATOR D I L L A : N FROM IEDLA R F N N TO: FI

u ay! yo d ’s e n i ibly valent incred s happy o s lway me i’m a make d ait n a can’t w . u happy o y g of thinkin u today <3 yo to see

TO: CALEY FROM: ANNABEL

… like you

TO: H FROM

od g a jol olly matthe ly ol w you d ’r Valent ine’s D chap hap e ay py

you are one swa gilic love you long tim ious son of a gu n. e <3

Hazen , mysel f l Our a ffe no bo un judgm en

TO: DIN O FROM: TWOM

You are th e guy could best school spous ea wish for. Y have to g o, but you our candles ’re a keep er! dear Charlie, I always remember those two days when you saw me having a mental breakdown, and you didn't do anything about it, because you're a gemini. anyway, not trying to boost your ego but you're really really cute. anyway, <3

T F TO: WILL FROM: SUGARCAKE

TO: CHARLIE FROM: :)

TO: THE ENTIRE SCHOOL FROM: KATE + JORDAN

i Shhhh..

TO: M ATTH EW KU FROM RT : JIGS Go

TO: PIP FROM: A J

Love you all and Happy Valentines day! Jordan and Kate say you are amazing and Jordan is giving out free hugs for everyone! Have a happy Valentines and a special shoutout to hot basketball dude - Jordan’s got her eye on you wink wink! Bye!!!

E N BOYL A Y T R : TO ECRE S : M FRO ER ADMIR

Dear Will, I hope you have the most amazing Valentine’s Day ever. You are the most handsome boy I have ever met. Every time we make eye contact in the hallway my heart flutters and I can’t stop thinking about you. I write poems about us in my diary. We should run away together. Hugs and kisses

KINSEY E C N A TO: L PERIOD H T 5 : FROM

Promise you’ll keep this on the low: I have a crush on you

py Valen tine’s best jou rnalism b Day to the uddy!!

HAZE N M: CO MORRISON LESLA W wh

en w lost in e first me t y ection our deep b I found lu f nds an or each oth e eyes. er kno d is no ws t nt of s ociety limited by . the

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TO: RD7 FROM: MAGS

TO: CA ROLINE FROM: LILLY Hap

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I have wanted to be your friend since your first birthday party (although I admittedly had no chance as I wasn’t there - the tragedy of being a mere fetus). Want to maybe be friends?

FROM: KAYLE TO: MAGGIE P All the se com us thin p k of yo uters just m u! Wil valent l you b ake ine? e our T

O: CHA RLES FROM: JOURN ALISM

TO: JORD AN WISE MAN FROM: K RIS

TO: MOLLY ROJAS FROM: S

Happy Valentine’s Day to Molly, a beautiful girl that i’ve liked ever since i met her during our radio class. I know i’ve made my mistakes, and we don’t talk much, but just know that you are always special in my heart. Thanks for being such a great girl.

Happy Valentine’s Day snookie wookums, I hope you’re having a wonderful day and I think we should go on a date soon for k&c. Have fun with your unit circle!

Jordan, I kn but ever s ow this sounds d ramatic, ince we’v e been in friend gro th es up wanted to , I started to like y ame ou. I’ve confess fo r awhile. so pretty and mean You are a lot to me. such a gr eat friend You are and I hop go out so e we can metime :)

TO: NIKKI MCARTHUR FROM: STINK STINK

N L JULIA Fr om: LYN POWEL H To: AS ve

lo love, i ent y m V Day ry mom Happy cherish eve t’s hang. d Le you an e your air. h t i brea Peace.

Caroline, I’ve had a crush on you ever since you put on the hand maiden cloak for our English final. You looked so pretty it gave me butterflies, let’s go out sometime

TO: CAROLINE CAPUANO FROM: SECRET ADMIRER h throug g in walk the since been ’s e u v r a h a I h drive-t ing for k ’s o ld lo a o n McDon ded. I am als ances o d n o e h n w Toes yone seaso his cat has an , d e n v a o n L ma ge do! to Sava e miss you, Lu k o T ik T ? PS- W Soccer s l r i G seen him VC

21 J TO: 20 OUSEK L A B Team N JORDA FROM:

10 columns & cartoons

Sam on the Sam Pelter

THE MIHS ISLANDER FEB. 2022

Touching Base with Tana Kate Grove

Social Media Team

Opinions Editor

Hey MIHS art lovers, it’s Sam again. I’m here to update you on the latest additions to the Seattle art scene. Today we are Photos by Sam Pelter heading to Volunteer Park’s Seattle Asian Art Museum (SAAM), another museum that’s part of the SAM’s collective. On Jan. 14, the SAAM introduced a new exhibit to the south gallery, Embodied Change: South Asian Art Across Time. The exhibit is a collection of South Asian art, showing feminized figures in the form of sculpture, collage, painting, etching and more. Overall, Embodied Change showed the female power and influence within South Asian culture. With artists of both modern day, and the early 20th century, the collection is a well rounded, true embodiment of women. One of the pieces that stood out the most to me was “Naga Kanya” by Naga Kanya by Jagdamba Devi, drawn in India, 1977. Jagdamba Devi. Devi was one of the pioneers of an Indian style of painting called Mithila. She was born in 1901 and was married at the age of eight. The description of the painting says, “[Devi] trained many women to be professional artists.” She helped spread female empowerment to other women of her generation. “The naga kanya is both dangerous and auspicious, and she is an important part of the devotional landscape of Mithila,” the description says. The eyecatching warm colors of the painting pair wonderfully with the flower motif Devi chose. The drawing feels psychedelic and never ending with traditional Indian elements incorporated into the figures and patterns. Devi later went on to receive an award for the fourth highest civilian in India in 1970. Her influence on Indian art and women in Indian art is immense. Another one of my favorite pieces Punjabi Rockers by Chila Kumari Singh Burman, from 1993 in Britain. is “Punjabi Rockers” by Chila Kumari

It’s easy to feel removed from our political representation. Oftentimes, the jargon and processes fly so far above the heads of the vast majority of students, which makes open communication vital to protect the trust between representatives and younger constituents. Enter Touching Base with Tana, a column where I will periodically interview our State Representative for the 41st Legislative District, Tana Senn, on legislation that affects students and families in Washington state. 2022 is starting off strong in Olympia with three important new bills making their way Photo Courtesy Tana Senn through the chambers. “One I believe actually came from LYAC (the Legislative Youth Advocacy Committee), which is to make mental health an excused absence, just like physical health,” Senn said. House Bill 1834, of which Senn is co-sponsor, is currently in committee in the State House chambers. “Another one is 1630, which I am sponsoring, that would ban guns at school board meetings,” Senn said. “There was just an incident in Virginia where a woman threatened to bring every gun possible to the next meeting of the school board, [so it’s] very timely.” In addition to these bills, Senn also observed that there were clear issues with the sexual misconduct reporting policies in schools. “This year, House Bill 1900 that I introduced actually was [inspired by] the young woman at [Newport] High School who was expelled after complaining about sexual assault who then led a protest,” Senn said. “This bill is meant to make it easier for students and parents to understand the process and the steps and their rights around complaints and around harassment and discrimination.” MIHS students can reach out to Rep. Senn through her website or at 425-2795345. Singh Burman and was made in 1993. The description of this piece features a quote of hers saying, “My work is about reclaiming the image of Asian women.” The artwork itself is a collage of images representing South Asian popular culture with pictures of women worked throughout. The collage showcases the bright colors and childlike cartoons popular in the United States during the 1990s. “Moving [my art] away from the object of the defining gaze, towards a position where I/Asian Women become the subject of display,” the description also says. Overall, the collection was a breathtaking compilation of artists wanting to shine a long overdue light on the beauty and culture within South Asian women. It’s worth the visit, so this month head to the SAAM.

THE MIHS ISLANDER FEB. 2022

Columns & Cartoons 11

Lev on Eleven: What I Love Most About Sports Alex Levin

Editor in Chief

I love sports— that’s no secret. I’ve been on three MIHS sports teams for four years, I manage too many fantasy football rosters and I have a recurring newspaper column where I write about a sports topic of my choosing. I spend my time playing, watching, talking about and writing about sports for many reasons. Sports cultivate camaraderie, spark competition and invite fascinating conversations. I have made some of my closest friends through sports, and I cherish the countless memories that sports have given me. Since today is Valentine’s Day and several elements in this issue follow a general “love” theme, I thought I would answer the question: What do I love most about sports? My answer is simple: Sports are the ultimate distraction. When the Chicago Cubs won the World Series in 2016 and ended their 108-year championship drought, Cubs fan or not, it’s all anyone talked about. When offensive coordinator Darrel Bevell decided to call a pass play— not a running play— on the one-yard line in the final minutes of Super Bowl XLIX, allowing Malcolm Butler to step in front of Russell Wilson’s

pass to seal the game and break the heart of every die-hard fifth-grade Seattle Seahawks fan (I’m over it, I promise), football fanatic or not, it was all anyone talked about. And when 17-year old Lydia Jacoby won the gold in the 100-meter Breastroke in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, defeated defending champion and teammate Lilly King and became the first person from Alaska to win an olympic medal in swimming, well, maybe not everyone was talking about it, but I thought it was pretty exciting. The point is, when all of these captivating, emotion-inducing sports moments happened, everyone could forget about all of the stressful things going on in their lives and in the world, even if only for a short period of time. And so, that’s why I love sports. When I’m barreling down the final stretch in a cross country race, watching a playoff game reach overtime or even reminiscing on incredible sports memories while writing this column, I don’t have a math test tomorrow, college admissions decisions do not cause me stress and the COVID-19 pandemic does not exist. Sports cannot solve my problems, but they can take my mind off of them for a while, and I am a happier, more peaceful person because of it.

Cartoon by Lena Hardisty

“Holy smokes! It’s the rare secondsemester senior going to Islander Hour!”

12 Opinions

THE MIHS ISLANDER FEB. 2022

For many,

“practicing self care” can feel like too general of a statement, especially when you don’t have any idea how to go about it. We wanted to give students a couple ideas about practical things you can do to practice self care and take care of your body, any day of the week or time of the year. Especially in a high stress academic environment, it can often be nearly impossible to prioritize yourself, and it’s easy to let self care fall by the wayside. Feel free to mix and match these strategies in whatever way feels right, or take them apart and make them your own.

Make a playlist of feel-good songs.

S I s H l an I M d

’s

Another great way to ground yourself is doing something— anything, really— with your hands. Our favorites include bracelet making, drawing, and collaging. That way, you are creating something tangible and unique instead of sitting with unhelpful thoughts. A bonus is that these projects can make great gifts, and connecting with friends and family through gift giving is a good way to feel like you’re making a positive impact with people you care about.

Just like making your bed, switching around a familiar space can be beneficial when you feel like you need a change. In addition, trying out new decorations or additions to the space can make you feel more comfortable. In the same way, it’s a positive outlet for exercising pent up energy.

Pick up a craft.

do it, it’s hard to know how big of a change it can really be. It can refresh your space, and beyond that, oftentimes a bed is the focal point of your room, so cleaning it up can help provide a bit of a ”clean slate” for your space.

If you are like us, music can be a really good outlet for understanding and coping with big feelings or new experiences. Compiling a playlist of songs that put you in a good headspace and listening to it when you feel low is a sneaky way to trick your brain into feeling better. Music is also a great way to get you out of your head and back into the real world.

Wash your sheets Similarly, tidy up or rearrange your and remake your bed. This one seems obvious, but until you really space!

Make time for yourself.

It’s essential to carve out time for yourself that is free of other obligations or expectations. You can spend time with yourself, try out hobbies, or just relax— all depending on what helps you build a good, healthy relationship with yourself.

g g e s tio

s n

Max Hense & Sandra Pedersen

A&E Editor & Back Page Editor

Opinions 13

THE MIHS ISLANDER FEB. 2022

Higher-Level Math Fosters Prominent Gender Disparity Gracie Hennessy

Staff Writer

Are girls in the Mercer Island School District experiencing the same opportunities for success in math as their male peers? All students at Mercer Island High School are required to take math courses for three years. Accordingly, the classes needed to meet the three-year requirement should be split relatively 54:46 male female, as that is the gender makeup of MIHS. To take AP Calculus at MIHS, a student needs to be at least a year accelerated and ready to take on the rigor of an AP math course— qualifications that shouldn’t correspond with gender. However, within the AP Calculus AB program at MIHS, 39 of the 103 students identify as female— only 37.9%. Comparing this on a national scale, the College Board released data stating that in 2014, 49% of AP Calculus AB test takers were female— a 9.3% difference between national test-takers and MIHS enrollment. Disparity in higher level math can’t be attributed to one explanation. Kate Yoder, the Math Department Head and AP Calculus teacher at MIHS, credits the differences in how young boys and girls are treated as one factor.

“The difference in how society treats girls and boys is different,” Yoder said. “At a younger age, and not to be stereotypical, we toughen up boys…we treat girls more … delicately, more wanting to save them emotional stress or something.” According to a 2019 Harvard study, Yoder’s thesis on the sociocultural effects on gender disparity in STEM is correct. The Harvard professors found that “socially determined gender differences, and implicit biases of both men and women” leads to the “goal congruity hypothesis.” This is an idea that “sociocultural pressures and innate psychological orientations” cause women “to opt out of STEM because they perceive their gendered goals to be incongruent with the nature of STEM work.” This “goal congruity hypothesis” could be a large reason for STEM experiencing “leaks” of girls between normal and accelerated classes, high school to university, and university to graduate school. This psychological difference and gender pressure starts young, with boys starting to score higher on national standardized tests 2:1 from kindergarten to seventh grade, corresponding with twice as many boys wanting to go into STEM as compared to girls by middle school. In mathematics “there is going to be some point

where [students] are going to have to change what [they’ve] done in the past, [and] suddenly students start to think that means they aren’t good at math anymore… and that’s not what it means at all,” Yoder said. The teaching of perseverance and breaking down stereotypes surrounding gendered abilities within STEM needs to be taught to girls at young ages in order to face disparity in mathematics head on— because girls are just as capable at math as boys are with 242 studies showing only a 0.05 difference in ability. Gender disparity at MIHS has improved slightly. The MIHS Math Department has also discussed the gender gap within our own community, and has possibly come to a conclusion. “I would like to see more of a K-12 grade math program…right now it feels very K-5, middle school, [and then] high school,” Yoder said. “I wonder if we had someone who was knowledgeable about a whole entire program, if that would help.” This district wide math program could prevent “leaks’’ of girls between the MISD’s K-5, middle school, high school and accelerated math and STEM programs. However, on a societal and more difficult scale, removing the gendering of abilities needed in STEM and a change in developmental treatment could finally lead to more girls in MISD, and nationally, feeling encouraged to participate and excel in accelerated math.

Average distribution of female students in MIHS AP Calculus

Graphic by Lena Hardisty

“within the AP Calculus AB program at MIHS, 39 of the 103

students identify as female — only 37.9 percent.”

14 A&e

THE MIHS ISLANDER FEB. 2022

“This is Not About Me”: A Compelling and Honest Look At Learning Non Speaking Grant Blasko

Staff Writer

communication disability is torturous in K-12 schools. Kind people are everywhere, but the odds of making it through educational settings without experiencing trauma are low. Learning requires communication at every turn. When you can’t do it like most others, the barriers to being seen as a competent student are endless. Moreover, when frustration about the resulting social injustice boils over in an autistic person, prompting an outburst, professional bias often prevents educators from seeing the more complex root cause. The knee-jerk reaction to focus on remediating the student behaviors can miss the systemic equity problems. I know from my own experience that

Jordyn Zimmerman, 26, may not be a household name to many in Mercer Island, but she is the creator and subject of a new documentary called “This Is Not About Me.” This powerful film observes the all-too-common educational experience of students with communication disabilities in our nation’s K-12 systems. What immediately distinguishes Zimmerman is that she identifies as a non-speaking autistic, and, like me, she communicates with an iPad using text-to-speech. She is a bold disability advocate with a Bachelor’s degree in Education Policy from Ohio University and a Master’s of Education from Boston College. This level of education is a feat many non-speaking autistic students rarely achieve. What might be even more surprising is that she did not have access to general education and robust AAC until she was 18-years old. As a result, her film is particularly astute at drawing attention to the inequality of education when the complexity of communication challenges gets layered with profound biases and painful misunderstandings about student potential. On a personal level, I, too, have Photo Courtesy This Is Not About Me navigated public high school without the ability to speak orally. Disability advocacy work living this way, day after day, can create toxic stress. Viewing this documentary may require some additional for nonspeakers is my passion. I am lucky to work as background for lay people. Students with autism vary in an Advisory Board member at CommunicationFIRST; their ability to communicate. Nobody knows what causes a DC-based organization focused on communication rights, where Jordan Zimmerman is also a board member. difficulties with communication in autism. There is often I have been a national TASH Communication Access an assumption that language and social understanding Workgroup member for four years, and I’m currently co- are absent. However, apraxia can affect an individual’s designing a course for communication classroom support ability to plan and sequence the mouth and tongue considerations with NYU’s Program for Inclusion and movements needed to speak, in addition to the hand and eye movements required to point and use assistive Neurodiversity Education (PINE). Jordyn and I first worked together on the award winning technology effectively. Autistic people move and sense differently, and short film “LISTEN.” The impact of Zimmerman’s film research is beginning to help us understand why some will be different depending on your perspective, so I want approaches may complicate the picture. Experts estimate to share from the lens of what I would like peers, parents, and educators to notice. Non speakers have been waiting that approximately over one-third of the autism population for a story like “This Is Not About Me.” Living with a is either minimally, unreliably, or non-speaking.

Students who begin school without reliable communication often navigate K-12 schools without effective means of communication, exiting into adulthood without a system that allows them to fully participate in education, community, and employment opportunities. In this film, Zimmerman expertly crafts a powerful narrative by sharing glimpses of her life of misunderstanding and despair in schools. The film opens with Zimmerman’s grade-school teacher sharing, “She was probably one of the most challenging children I’ve ever worked with.” Meeting Zimmerman today, one might think she just grew out of her rebellious stage. She is almost always smiling and very conversational with her AAC device, even joking about her past. It’s hard to imagine her as a problem student. Every aspect of the film shares more details about how this disparity of perception occurred. “I think it was the severity of my behaviors that led educators to not see my potential,” Zimmerman said. The film is shot in a way that contrasts the mood to her prior school settings, to the setting of her home, community, and college settings. Somber music and expressionless faces dominate when she takes director Marco Niemeijer on a tour of her elementary school. Referring to her middle school time Zimmerman’s mom notes, “They were restraining her more and more for less and less.” At home, Zimmerman is open and natural. My favorite scene is in a grocery store, as she casually chats with her mom but stops to straighten some jars on shelves. I recognized it was a need for her to do so, and I felt it too. It was over in a second, and she moved on. Most who view the movie probably won’t even take note of this incident. In a less comfortable setting, though, the frequency of her coping strategies likely goes way up. Sensory overload can

Continued on mihsislander.org

A&e 15

THE MIHS ISLANDER FEB. 2022

United Artists Cooper Hoffman (Gary) added tesy Rel but in a more “elevating the mood” kind r u o ea of way. I didn’t feel as if the movie to the fantasy-feeling sin sC o of the narrative. The g was hiding in a bunch of cheesy ot movie also contains ‘70s classics, but rather using a lot of side songs that highlighted the characters that “feel good” moments of were perfectly the story. portrayed— not All in all this movie overwhelming has a seemingly likable the plot setup, but I just can’t w h a t s o e v e r. get past the painfully For example, uncomfortable age gap — I just can’t. I can see what the director was going for in making the contrast between a 15-year old and 25-year old. In doing so, we (the audience) are drawn to the same non-pretentious innocent showmanship of Gary as Alana is. This allows us to empathize with Alana while pointing out Gary’s uniqueness— The whole “stay golden ponyboy” thing. But it crosses into a region of normalizing a pedophilic relationship. It was frankly unnecessary to use this contrast to point out his youthful attitude, while it could’ve been portrayed in a more artistic form. Honestly, as far as creepy romance Bradley Cooper’s movies go, “Call role of Jon Peters. Me By Your Name” He perfectly wins. represented Los I would encourage Angeles as a anyone interested in person. this movie to proceed T h e with caution. Morally, soundtrack fit it leaves the worst taste beautifully with the in your mouth but visually, ambiance of the film, and not it leaves you wanting more. in a historically accurate way,

Licorice Pizza is one of the most conflicting movies ever made. The concept behind the film seems innocent; a light hearted younglove trope in one of the most iconic stylistic time period’s, the ‘70s— but there’s just one giant flaw here. The story is based around the disturbing romantic relationship between a 15-year-old boy and a 25-year-old woman. Main character Gary Valentine experiences “love at first sight” when he lays eyes on Alana Kane working at his high school’s photo day in San Fernando Valley. At first Alana appears hesitant to even form a friendship with Gary. But soon Alana is entranced by Gary’s charm and ambition, watching him become a hardworking sales man for hot and new inventions, like pinball machines! Together, the two of them tackled issues from how best to run a waterbed business to navigating a first love. I wanted to like this movie so bad. Grooming apart, this was arguably a cinematic masterpiece. Director Paul Thomas Anderson’s cinematography is absolutely fantastic. His use of saturation and warm tones throughout the film perfectly represents the mystic-like haze of the ‘70s, giving the entire movie a nostalgic feeling of a hot summer night. Additionally, his color theory enhanced the personalities of both main characters. I quickly began to associate warm glowing tones with Gary and lighter more sophisticated tones with Alana, two contrasting palettes that outline their outlooks. This humanizing visual helped me grab a greater insight as to who the characters were as people without using words. It’s truly strong cinema. The acting in this film is absolutely phenomenal. Paul Thomas’ choice in using up and coming actors Alana Haim (Alana) and

The Bitter Undertones of Licorice Pizza reviewed by staff writer caroline capuano

16 Back Luke Harp

Staff Writer

Wolf aron sy A rte Cou to Pho

Pumping the crowds at games, whipping their flags around the gym, always decked out in spirit gear, the Flag Dudes have been a staple of MIHS spirit since 1991. Over the 30 years the Dudes have existed, the group and Islander spirit have evolved, yet many traditions remain untouched. Most importantly, what it truly means to be a Flag Dude has stayed the same. I was fortunate enough to talk with Aaron Wolf, founder of the Dudeship, about his experience as a Flag Dude in the ‘90s:

ie w v r with e t n I n

How and why did you start the Flag Dudes?

Du de

A t I d

I started them because I was ASB president my senior year of 1990. While I wasn’t planning on becoming a cheerleader, I thought it would be fun to have something for a bit of school spirit where we would [use] flags and help rally the crowd separate from the cheerleaders. So myself and two other people were the original Flag Dudes. One was Ethan Sandler. He was an ASB officer. Another person was Scott Didrickson. Scott was one of the star basketball players. The three of us came together with the idea where we’d just do, not cheers, but wave flags whenever we scored. I remember at one of the first school assemblies at the beginning of the ‘91 school year we came out waving the flags. That’s how the Flag Dudes were started. We also had substitute Flag Dudes. One was Tim Wall, and the other was one of the famous Mercer Island alumni, his name was Joel McHale.

What did the administration think of you?

Since I was the school president, I had a good relationship with the vice principal that handled student affairs. He thought it was fine. Since we started we didn’t do any hazing when we were passing down the flags. At the time of the inception of the Flag Dudes, we had a good relationship.

Could you describe a day in the life of a Flag Dude on game day during your senior year?

We didn’t carry the flags around during school, [but] we would definitely be in Mercer Island gear. We didn’t do anything abnormal. We got to the games early. When there was a football score at home games we would take the flags. We ran back and forth [around] the cheerleaders. And then we did pushups— thank god I’m no longer a Flag Dude— for whatever the score was. I don’t think we ever did any cheers. Maybe we would clap [but] basically we would just show up to games and rally. It was a lot of fun so it’s really cool that it’s still going 30 years later.

, Describe the Mercer Island Spirit in the 90s.

We had pretty good school spirit. I gotta say, it definitely seemed like we had more students that were at the away games [compared to] what I saw in the

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THE MIHS ISLANDER FEB. 2022

away games this year. We also had the Animal Band, [which] would be at the basketball games. So the marching band now has taken off. It’s fantastic how huge it is. It’s exploded. The Animal Band, when I was a kid in the ‘80s, was really really good. They would be at every home basketball game playing there in the student section. So I would say the school spirit when I was there was really strong.

What attributes do you think future Flag Dudes should have?

Something just to raise school spirit. Something different than the cheerleaders. Something new and creative. They should have a lot of passion for the school. They should be respectful and kind to all classmates, because at Mercer Island [and] at every school there’s a wide range of people. Be respectful. Be kind. Have fun. I’ve heard there were some times where some Flag Dudes acted out of line over the years. Just to be respectful and kind to all students playing there in the student section.